On March 4, 2014, GW Solar Institute Director Amit Ronen traveled to Annapolis, MD to testify before the Maryland State Senate’s Finance Committee on Senate Bill 786. The bill, “Electricity-Community Renewable Energy Generating System – Pilot Program,” would establish a new program allowing for up to 50 megawatts (MW) of Community Renewable Energy Generating Systems.

These proposed Community Renewable Energy Generating systems are a form of community solar or virtual net metering that would allow Maryland to aggregate their buying power to overcome economic, physical, and regulatory barriers that may prevent them from acquiring distributed renewable energy like solar on their own properties.